The most popular gun ever. This gun changed paintball in many diffrent ways. It made a reliable cheap paintball gun that can be upgraded to the max. With many Tippmann siblings the 98 custom revolutionized paintball still to this day.

02-25-2014, 10:14 AMTippmann Sports Tippmann 98 CustomThese things are pretty much indestructible. You can throw this thing in mud, dirt, sand, maybe even water and this thing will still shoot and work great at the end of the day. One of the greatest...

These things are pretty much indestructible. You can throw this thing in mud, dirt, sand, maybe even water and this thing will still shoot and work great at the end of the day. One of the greatest starter guns ever built, I know so many people that got into paintball and started off with a 98 custom and loved it. The feel of the gun is long like a rifle which I really like, and they have a ton of upgrades you can do to these.

Only downside is the gun can be somewhat heavy and the side feedneed can be annoying at times. If you can get over those two draw backs it makes for an amazing marker.

This review has been rated:

Currently 5/5 stars.

11-21-2013, 07:41 AMTippmann Sports Tippmann 98 CustomIts a 98 custome you can not break one of these! throw a tank and hopper on it and never worry about it not working. fantastic starter gun!!!

Its a 98 custome you can not break one of these! throw a tank and hopper on it and never worry about it not working. fantastic starter gun!!!

This review has been rated:

Currently 5/5 stars.

02-09-2012, 02:04 PMTippmann Sports Tippmann 98 CustomOk now for me and many this WAS MY FIRST paintball marker ever.
I spent a lot of money upgrading it so it would look cool and shoot faster.
-Upgrades are expansive
____
This brings back memories...

I spent a lot of money upgrading it so it would look cool and shoot faster.
-Upgrades are expansive
____

This brings back memories and it will always be a marker that is the best starting marker ever!!

This review has been rated:

Currently 5/5 stars.

02-01-2012, 02:42 PMTippmann Sports Tippmann 98 CustomI have had my tippmann for well over 8 years now.
They are one of the BEST starter/back up/rental/lend out guns you can own.
Pros: So many to list only gonna hit few points.
They are highly...

They are one of the BEST starter/back up/rental/lend out guns you can own.

Pros: So many to list only gonna hit few points.

They are highly customizable with tons of aftermarket parts out there.
Super Strong can toss them around drive over them and nothing gets broke.
EXTREMELY Reliable hose off with water. Throw few drops oil into the asa dry fire few times and ready to be used next time you head out.

There is nothing negative i can think about for this gun. It is at a great price point. And is one of the most widely used guns out to date.

This review has been rated:

Currently 5/5 stars.

08-04-2013, 01:00 AMTippmann Sports Tippmann 98 CustomWell, its a tippmann, the classic newb gun we all love. I used mine for all kinds of things, hammering nails, killing small rodents, throwing at people who say "agg", digging holes (my most famous is...

Well, its a tippmann, the classic newb gun we all love. I used mine for all kinds of things, hammering nails, killing small rodents, throwing at people who say "agg", digging holes (my most famous is called the grand canyon", and sometimes paintball. you already know everything about this gun. its the most durable gun ever made. its everyone's first gun. and its fun as hell to use. Yes its ugly as hell and its cast aluminum, but hey, thats why its durable. i used mine for 2 years...didnt even know guns need lube. You can pack a ound of cement in the bolt and it will still cycle(not legit).

This review has been rated:

Currently 5/5 stars.

06-10-2008, 01:31 PMTippmann Sports Tippmann 98 CustomWell, as most this was my first paint throwing beast. My parents finally gave into my constant nagging to get a paintball gun and this was the result. I purchased a few different upgrades for the gun...

Well, as most this was my first paint throwing beast. My parents finally gave into my constant nagging to get a paintball gun and this was the result. I purchased a few different upgrades for the gun such as a response trigger and nightstick barrel. I took it out and played in the woods behind my house for a year or so before my brothers and I decided to play 3-man YG in the local tournament GPL. I used the 98 custom and they used mech-spyders. Well, believe it or not we won! But, seriously, we did win the tournament and our success went on from there. (without the Tippmann and mech-spyders obviously)

Look - The Tippmann looks a little awkward compared to mainstream pinball markers. Most markers have a compact design with either a regulator or gas through grip in the front. Well, the 98 custom is much longer, and the grip in the front is completely separate from the steel braided hose that transports the air. This is a bit displeasing to the eye of someone who has been around the sport for a while, but to newcomers it’s not bad. The great thing about the 98 custom though is that it is very customizable and the somewhat ugly looks of the long bodies Tippmann can be shrouded. Parts and upgrades can make this gun look like a military weapon such as an AK-47, M16, or other assault rifles. This makes the gun much more appealing to the eye, especially for those who love simulating real warfare (mil-sim) games.

Upgrades - The 98 Custom is called "custom" for a reason. The user can customize the gun to look like almost anything they want it to. There are so many different combinations possible that the user can create a nearly one of a kind gun with ease. I could spend hours searching the internet and take up a whole page writing down all the possible upgrades but that would be too much. Besides, creating a custom gun for yourself all culminates from searching for upgrades on the internet and seeing other peoples designs, it is its own adventure that most everyone enjoys. But, in general there are barrels, stocks, cyclone feed systems, expansion chambers, drop forwards, kits to convert your gun to electronic, triggers, ect..... HERE is PbNation's Tippmann forum, there is no better place to start your upgrading adventure. I personally bought the Response trigger kit, this kit uses excess air leftover in the breech to power a pneumatic piston that forces your trigger out. Then, when the air is all used up your finger is able to pull the trigger down again. This simulates automatic fire because you never let go of the trigger. This is not technically illegal (ramping) because your gun is only shooting once per trigger pull. (Most tournament series do NOT allow this anyway).

Durability/Reliability - If you ever heard someone call a 98 custom not unreliable, or not durable, then they were either joking, or downright stupid. This gun is the most durable/reliable gun you will ever use on the face of this planet. I have dropped mine, ran it over with a car (yes I did to test some peoples insane stories), stabbed it barrel first into the mud, hit it against trees and all the while it still works. You want to know why most field owners carry these as their rentals? Because no matter how long they go without a cleaning, how abusive the renters are, or how many paintballs the noobs pick up off the ground, they always seem to work. I have some friends that never cleaned their guns the entire time they had them (over 3 years) and they still shoot fine. Granted they start to have some problems as they are abused more and more but I guarantee you there is no other gun out there that can take a beating as consistently as this one, and still work fine.
But, there are consequences for not keeping a tidy marker, the anno (which isn’t even really an anno, more like paint) begins to wear off with long exposure to the elements and the ingredients in paint. This is only a cosmetic thing and will not affect the performance of the marker but it does make it look bad. Another thing is that the bolts can be stripped, they are not invincible. But, once again this is only cosmetic, it just wont allow you to open the gun, and does not effect performance of the marker. Despite the durability of this marker everything breaks down and so does a Tippmann. Those that get repeated use over a long period of time begin to wear out. The internals are usually the first to go, the sear and the back bolt rub together constantly and eventually the lip that the sear catches is too thin and the bolt slips. So, even the most durable paintball marker is subject to breakdown over time, just takes longer with the 98 Custom.

Performance - My 98 custom performed great from the day I got it. Playing with my brothers in the woods was fine but once I got into games with better players it became apparent that the performance of the stock marker was not superb. It does fire and fairly accurately, but, the stock barrel is way too small. Once I upgraded to a longer aftermarket barrel it was very accurate. The gun used very little air as well, which was great for those long scenario games. This enables longer/ more games before I had to go back to air up. If you put a response trigger or an e-bolt on there then the gun will shoot much faster. If you buy a drop forward to fit your shooting style then the gun will feel a lot more comfortable. Once again I could go on and on about how the gun will perform with different upgrades but that would ruin the fun for some, and take up a lot of space on my review. Instead I only listed a few that provide the reader with the knowledge that the 98 custom is a fully customizable gun and therefore does not perform as great without aftermarket upgrades.

Design - The gun was a bit heavy, compared to most other guns the 98 custom is one of the heaviest, it is not 200 pounds heavier but it is noticeable. This, as well as the long length of the body, is a turnoff for some. Another design flaw that came to my attention was the poor quality of the locking feedneck. Over extended use the nut on the back side begins to tear the plastic feedneck and eventually creates a groove. This allows the nut to spin with the bolt causing you to have to use a wrench as well as an allen key to tighten and loosen the feedneck. But, despite the previous, the quick feedneck removal design was great. It enables quick removal of the entire feedneck/hopper which helps if there is a need to unblock something in the feedneck or use a pull-through squeegee in the middle of a game. Next, apparently Tippmann changed the inner and outer diameter in all 98 Customs with serial numbers above 495,501 (around the year 2003). In a quote from Tippmann, "These new guns will not accept the old style barrels. All barrels being made now have the new style thread. However, all new barrels will also fit older guns regardless of serial number." Well I did not know this at the time I purchased the marker and when I tried to use some of my friend’s barrels in my gun they would not fit. But, they had no problem using my barrels. This was disappointing at times, because I had to use the stock, until I eventually purchased my own aftermarket barrel. Finally, the velocity adjustment seems to give me problems all the time. For the past year or so I have been unable to get my 98 custom to shoot below 350 FPS. Seeing as most fields are 300 or below I am pretty much out of luck. (I have had the thing shooting over 450 without breaking paint, but it was wildly inaccurate.) I did not have this problem when I first bought the gun so it may have something to do with the circumstances with which I test it under. In addition I have not actually sat down and attempted to fix the problem thoroughly, meaning it may just be something small and an easy fix. But, I am including it as a heads up to those who may be having a similar problem, to indicate that they are not the only ones.

Price - For the durability/reliability of the gun 140 is nothing. But, overall I feel that the 98 custom should be more along the lines of $100 which would increase sales on the marker. If it came with a longer barrel or some upgrades stock, that increased its performance right out of the box, then it would be worth the $140 without a doubt. It is almost as if Tippmann gives you reliability/durability for $140 and requires that you pay more for performance.

Overall, I would recommend this gun as a starter for everyone who wants to play paintball. This is also a great gun for the custom gun makers, scenario paintballers, and mil-sim enthusiasts. But, I would advise buying this gun USED as it is a bit overpriced new. I have seen used 98 Customs sell for prices as low as $40 here on PbNation and EBay. (And, since they are such durable markers most used ones will be described as “like new” or “works great”) Finally, those who tell you its not a great speedball marker are partially correct, but that doesn’t mean it should never be used in a speedball tournament (but, you may want to upgrade before you attempt to play a tournament with one). There is a competitive x-ball team Tippmann Effect that uses 98 customs and they have won quite a few events, and as I said above I have also won a speedball event with a 98 custom. So, I’m just reminding you that it’s the player behind the marker, not the marker, which wins a tournament so it’s never out of the picture.

This review has been rated:

Currently 4.5/5 stars.

02-02-2012, 01:13 PMTippmann Sports Tippmann 98 CustomThis was my first gun ever and I always have wanted to buy another just to mess around with. Probably the most reliable gun on the market and they have been around forever. This will probably be the...

This was my first gun ever and I always have wanted to buy another just to mess around with. Probably the most reliable gun on the market and they have been around forever. This will probably be the first gun I buy my future children. It is easy to use and fairly cheap, which makes it great for beginners. There are tons of upgrades you can do to these as well which makes it very fun to mess around with. Definitely recommend for any beginner.

This review has been rated:

Currently 4.5/5 stars.

02-03-2012, 12:11 PMTippmann Sports Tippmann 98 CustomI actually own 2 Model 98's... One of the newer body style, one of the older, both are 100% reliable markers, firing consistently any time they are used. The only issue someone could possibly have...

I actually own 2 Model 98's... One of the newer body style, one of the older, both are 100% reliable markers, firing consistently any time they are used. The only issue someone could possibly have with these markers, is that you are usually discounted as a "newbie" if you walk onto the field with one. Luckily they can be modded/upgraded very VERY easily, and are the best "sleeper" marker out there. You can outfit them with e-triggers, cyclone feeds, you-name-it. I have one with a reaction trigger on it, and I easily can out-shoot someone with an electro, at least until my air/paint runs out! I always bring one or both of my 98's with me when I go to away games...You never know when you'll need to put paint down-range when the battery in your primary goes south!

This review has been rated:

Currently 4/5 stars.

02-16-2008, 10:16 AMTippmann Sports Tippmann 98 CustomI used a 98C for 8 years playing woods ball. It is a great marker for the price and i don't think there is another marker out there that you can upgrade as easily and is more readily available then...

I used a 98C for 8 years playing woods ball. It is a great marker for the price and i don't think there is another marker out there that you can upgrade as easily and is more readily available then the 98C. THERE IS A REASON ITS THE NUMBER 1 SELLING GUN OF ALL TIME! I would recommend this for anyone playing woods ball. Even with the e-triggers I would NOT use this on a speedball field, unless you and your buddies all have them and are playing against each other. This gun is built like a tank and can with stand all the falls, bumps, bangs, drops, and shots, you can throw at it. Like i said i had mine for 8 years. When i sold it it shot as great as the day I bought it. Its not the fastest gun on the planet but for playing the occasional game in your backyard, or full on D day in PA. It will get you through the game and get you plenty of kills and have lots of fun doing it, while still leaving money in your wallet to buy all the paint, grenades, and co2 you need.

As a mechanical marker in todays world I give it a rating of 8.5-10. There isn't a whole lot wrong with the gun, I have moved up to the speedball game but if i ever go back to play woodsball IM BUYING ANOTHER ONE, WITHOUT HESITATION!

This review has been rated:

Currently 3.5/5 stars.

02-27-2008, 03:52 AMTippmann Sports Tippmann 98 CustomWell let start off by saying if you have never shot a Tippmann then you have never played paintball. This is the most reliable gun on the market. I alway say " you can prolly drag your 98 behind your...

Well let start off by saying if you have never shot a Tippmann then you have never played paintball. This is the most reliable gun on the market. I alway say " you can prolly drag your 98 behind your car on the way to the feild, put a drop of oil on the hammer oring and your ready to play". Thes things are great for any kind of paintball. They are easy to find parts for. And plus if it breaks its never real expensive to fix.